Forest Hills Pastor Found Dead in LI Home

A longtime priest at a Forest Hills church was found dead at his home last week.

Monsignor Gerald Langelier, who was a pastor at Our Lady of Mercy Church, passed away last Friday. He was 78 years old.
According to a police report, Langelier was found unresponsive at the bottom of a pool in his Long Island home at around 5 p.m. on July 19. Police and Fire Dept. responding to the scene attempted to revive the monsignor but were unsuccessful. A spokesperson for Southhold Police, where the pastor lived, said that they do not disclose the cause of death to respect the family’s privacy and there is currently no investigation into his death.

Services are being held on Wednesday and Thursday in honor of Langelier. The wake for the monsignor will be held at Glascott Funeral home on Metropolitan Avenue in Forest Hills, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Also on Thursday, a vigil mass for Langelier will be held at Our Lady of Mercy beginning at 7:30 p.m. Finally, the funeral mass will be held at the church on Friday at 10:30 a.m.

Barbara Stuchinski, President of the Forest Hills Civic Association, said that she remembers Langelier as one of the kindest, most caring priests she has known.

“He truly was a gentle man and will be greatly missed by all of us who have known him for these many years,” she said in an email.

For more information on the services being held for Langelier, please contact Our Lady of Mercy Church at (718) 268-6143.